Dory Funk
Encyclopedia
Dorrance Wilhelm "Dory" Funk (May 4, 1919 – June 3, 1973) was a professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr.
and Terry Funk
.
high school state champion amateur wrestler for three years, as well as an Indiana State University
Amateur Athletic Union
champion for one year.
Funk started professionally wrestling after serving in the United States Navy
during World War II
, starting in the southwest United States
. He wrestled primarily in the Texas
territories and the Central States territories during his career. He was also famous for having 250 Texas death matches without a loss and is a record that has never been broken.
After retirement he became a promoter in Amarillo, Texas
with Doc Sarpolis
, in which he led a thriving wrestling scene which produced many superstars, including his sons Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk
, as well as Stan Hansen
, Ted DiBiase
, Tito Santana
, Jumbo Tsuruta
and Genichiro Tenryu
. Funk had a good business relationship with All Japan Pro Wrestling
founder Shohei Baba
, which led Funk's talent pool to useful international experience.
On July 15, 2006, Dory Funk Sr. was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa
. The award was accepted by his younger son, Terry Funk. Other inductees included Larry Hennig
, Bret Hart
, Mike DiBiase, Nikita Koloff
, Tom Jenkins, and Bob Roop
.
Dory Funk Sr. was heavily involved with the famous Cal Farley Boys Ranch in Amarillo..
June 3, 1973: Dory Funk Sr. died at the age of 54 (Dory Funk is buried at Dreamland Cemetery in Canyon, Texas)
January 30, 2009: Dorothy Funk Culver, the mother of Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk, died at the age of 89..
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
and Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
.
Career
Funk was an IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
high school state champion amateur wrestler for three years, as well as an Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
champion for one year.
Funk started professionally wrestling after serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, starting in the southwest United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He wrestled primarily in the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
territories and the Central States territories during his career. He was also famous for having 250 Texas death matches without a loss and is a record that has never been broken.
After retirement he became a promoter in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
with Doc Sarpolis
Doc Sarpolis
Karl Scarpolis was a wrestling promoter in Texas. Born to Lithuanian immigrants, Karl started working as a coal miner....
, in which he led a thriving wrestling scene which produced many superstars, including his sons Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, as well as Stan Hansen
Stan Hansen
John Stanley Hansen, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Stan Hansen. As a wrestler, Hansen was well known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to poor eyesight, as he is nearly blind without glasses...
, Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
, Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
, Jumbo Tsuruta
Jumbo Tsuruta
, better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling for most of his career, and is well-known for being the first ever AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National...
and Genichiro Tenryu
Genichiro Tenryu
Genichiro Tenryu , real name Genichiro Shimada , is a Japanese professional wrestler. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling...
. Funk had a good business relationship with All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
founder Shohei Baba
Shohei Baba
was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was also known as Giant Baba. Baba, along with Antonio Inoki, became one of the most famous Japanese wrestlers of his era, with a popularity in Japan comparable to Hulk Hogan's in the United States of America...
, which led Funk's talent pool to useful international experience.
On July 15, 2006, Dory Funk Sr. was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa
Newton, Iowa
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,254. It is the home of Maytag Dairy Farms and was formerly home to the Maytag Corporation's corporate headquarters until the Whirlpool Corporation acquired it in 2006...
. The award was accepted by his younger son, Terry Funk. Other inductees included Larry Hennig
Larry Hennig
Larry "The Axe" Hennig is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the father of the late "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, the grandfather of Joe Hennig, and is best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and World Wide Wrestling Federation...
, Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, Mike DiBiase, Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
, Tom Jenkins, and Bob Roop
Bob Roop
Bob Roop is a retired amateur and professional wrestler whose career has spanned high school, college, Army, amateur and professional wrestling. He was an American Heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...
.
Dory Funk Sr. was heavily involved with the famous Cal Farley Boys Ranch in Amarillo..
June 3, 1973: Dory Funk Sr. died at the age of 54 (Dory Funk is buried at Dreamland Cemetery in Canyon, Texas)
January 30, 2009: Dorothy Funk Culver, the mother of Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk, died at the age of 89..
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Southern Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version)The Florida version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a top tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Florida territory, Championship Wrestling from Florida. It existed from 1960 until 1971, when the title was abandoned.-Title history:...
(1 time) - with Jose LotharioJose LotharioGuadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career...
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Tag Team ChampionshipThe Vancouver version of the NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in its National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated territory, NWA All-Star Wrestling, from 1961 until 1962, when it was replaced by the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship.-Title...
(2 times) - with Lou TheszLou TheszAloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
(1) and Pancho Pico (1)
- NWA Western States SportsNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version)NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version)The Amarillo version of the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship was a secondary championship that was defended in Dory Funk, Sr.'s NWA Western States Sports promotion based in Amarillo, Texas. Originally created in August 1964, the title was used briefly before being abandoned. It was reactivated three...
(2 times) - NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version)NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version)The Amarillo version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship was a top singles title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports...
(17 times) - NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) (7 times) - with Bob GeigelBob GeigelRobert "Bob" Geigel is a former American professional wrestling promoter and also a former professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions...
(1), Dick HuttonDick HuttonRichard "Dick" Hutton was an American amateur and professional wrestler. He was a three-time NCAA champion and, as a professional, held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.-Early life:...
(1) and Ricky Romero (5) - NWA Southwest Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Cowboy Carlos (2) and Bob Geigel (2)
- NWA Western States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Western States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports....
(1 time) - NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)